Vol. 40 - No.4 • JANUARY 2022 • www.houstonmusicnews.net • FREE
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Jetro Tull’s
Martin Barre
Also In This Issue P.O.D. The Wheel Workers Van Wilks Authority Zero Arc Angels Reverend Horton Heat and More!
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Music News • January 2022
January 2022 Hi Folks, We here at Music News aka Houston Music News would like to wish all of our readers and advertisers a Happy New Year. Last year was a big mess, but we definitely have a lot of hope for this year. Things are starting to return to normal and that’s a good thing. We wish the best to all of you out there! Keep The Faith and be sure to enjoy a lot of live music while you can!! Now, on to the new issue. In this issue, as usual, we have some great stories and information to pass on to you. Check out stories in this month’s issue on P.O.D., The Wheel Workers, Lucinda Williams, Trampled By Turtles, Buckcherry, Jerry Rivera, Van Wilks, Authority Zero, Bryce Vine, Louis Tomlinson, The Meteors,The Arc Angels, Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre, Lettuce, Reverend Horton Heat, and another installment of the original story, THE BIKER along with a lot more! Also in this issue are a ton of great pictures of bands performing around the Houston area. I’m sure you’re going to be familiar with a lot of these bands. If you have pictures of local bands performing, please email them to us. I would really appreciate it and I know the bands do as well. Keep it up... We would like to see more pictures from you. I sincerely hope that everybody reading this new publication finds something here that they like and I would like to encourage you to let your friends and colleagues know about us. Just look for us every month at http://www.houstonmusicnews.net. I would also like to encourage you to email us for a free subscription to Rock And Blues International as well. Just email us at musicnew@airmail.net and in the subject line simply put “Sign Me Up” and we’ll email you a copy each month when it is published. For your convenience, Music News is also now downloadable. You can download the issue into your computer or storage device and save it and read it at your convenience without having to get logged on to the internet every time. Try it now and save every issue. It will make things a lot easier for you.
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Contents
VOL. 40 NO. 4
JANUARY 2022
6
ISSUE NO. 507
P.O.D. P.O.D. Perform January 28th In The Ballroom At Warehouse Live
6 THE WHEEL WORKERS
8
Texas-Based Underround Indi Music Collective The Wheel Workers Annouce Upcoming “S.O.S.” Music Video And Show at White Oak Music Hall
8 14
Trampled By Turtles Perform At White Oak Music Hall on January 13
14 BUCKCHERRY
TRAMPLED BY TURTLES
16
Buckcherry Return To Houston For A Show At Rise Rooftop
16 32
32 4
Music News • January 2022
THE METEORS The Meteors Perform At Warehouse Live January 21
Contents
VOL.40 NO. 4
JANUARY 2022
26 36 Page 36 Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre Celebrates 50 Years Of Aqualung At Dosey Doe January 25th
ISSUE NO. 507
18 Van Wilks 22 Jerry Rivera 24 Authority Zero 26 Bryce Vine 20 Louis Tomlinson 34 The Arc Angels 42 Lettuce 44 Reverend Horton Heat 52 The Biker 56 and on RANDOM SHOTS
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January 2022 • Music News
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Photo by Laura Carbone
P.O.D. Perform January 28th in The Ballroom at Warehouse Live Music magnifies purpose. It globalizes intent in the form of action. Since 1992, P.O.D. have globally rallied audiences around a hypnotic hybrid of hard rock, hip-hop, reggae, and alternative punctuated by a message of unification and a powerful pledge to persevere. The San Diego quartet—Sonny Sandoval [vocals], Marcos Curiel [guitar], Traa Daniels [bass], and Wuv Bernardo [drums]—rose up from a tough neighborhood just four exists north of the Mexican border into a three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated multiplatinum mainstay. Moving 10 million-plus records, selling out gigs on multiple continents, logging four Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top 200, and collaborating with everyone from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® inductee Carlos Santana to Katy Perry, the group continue to bring people together everywhere. “We come from South San Diego right next to Tijuana, and it isn’t a rock ‘n’ roll town,” explains Wuv. “It blows 6 Music MusicNews News •• November January 20222020
my mind to this day that we’ve been able to take our style and message not just across the country but around the globe. It’s a blessing.” “Through all of our struggles, triumphs, good times, and bad times, I still believe this band has a purpose,” states Sonny. “It started from such a pure place as teenagers. We still meet as brothers who want to leave a positive and lasting mark on the world. As much as music has changed, we keep doing it, because we know somebody’s listening. It’s one thing we decided as a band. We want to make you smile, believe you’re worth something, and have the strength to get past this moment in time. We know we have the capability to write a song that can speak to a person for the rest of their life. All four of us are grateful to contribute.” From day one, they equally contributed a singular vibe to what would become P.O.D. As the story goes, Marcos and Wuv developed an unbreak-
able musical bond in a high school thrash band inspired by Metallica and Slayer. With Wuv and Sonny cousins, Sonny often attended gigs to cheer them on. At the same time, he went through a series of trials and tribulations. Exposed to “getting in trouble” at a young age, he witnessed divorce, drugs, and street life all “by association” much like his future bandmates. At 19-years-old, he endured the passing of his mother due to Leukemia. “It was a turning point for me,” he admits. “I decided to stop some of the things that might have gotten me in trouble. It was a wakeup call. We didn’t grow up in a religious home, but in her last few days, my mom was reading her Bible. I watched how her life changed. We started going to church, and I saw how a new state of mind healed my family. When she died, it led me to get on the straight and narrow and make her proud. Wuv and Marcos had wanted to continued on next page
P.O.D. continued from previous page go in a new direction musically, mixing metal guitar with reggae, rap, and punk, which I was more into. In a way, I believed this band would keep me out of trouble. The next thing you know, we just started jamming.” They played everywhere. Hundreds of sweaty basement gigs, backyard parties, and club shows followed in between opening for the likes of nineties-era Green Day. Along the way, Traa joined the fold on the bass, widening the sonic palette with a distinct soul jazz funk slap. As much as P.O.D. represented a union of styles, it also represented a union of cultures. Sonny is Pacific Islander, Italian, and Mexican, while Wuv is Pacific Islander, Marcos is Chicano, and Traa is of African descent. “I was a reggae and hip-hop guy, but when I realized guys of color like Bad Brains could do this, I related,” adds Sonny. “We are this big, beautiful, and flavorful gumbo of race and culture personally and musically.” Recognizing their hustle, Wuv’s dad founded Rescue Records to release P.O.D.’s Snuff the Punk [1994] and Brown [1996]. Hitting the road nationwide, they organically attracted a fervent following, selling CDs out of the back of the van in order to get to the next city. “By 1996, we all quit our jobs and just toured our asses off,” recalls Marcos. “My family thought I was crazy, but there was a movement happening. We’d go to a city and play to 20 people. The next time, there would be 100 and then 350. Soon, we were in warehouses with 800 kids rocking out. We did it the hard way, and it started to pay off.”
Landing a deal with Atlantic Records, the grind continued on 1999’s major label debut, The Fundamental Elements of Southtown. It established the group as a platinum-selling force anchored by anthems “Southtown” and “Rock the Party (Off the Hook)” as the guys toured tirelessly. Plus, it set the stage for Satellite in 2001. Not only did it bow at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 and go triple-platinum, but it also yielded four signature singles “Alive,” “Youth of the Nation,” “Boom,” and “Satellite.” In its wake, the band garnered GRAMMY® nominations in the categories of “Best Hard Rock Performance” for “Alive” in 2002, “Best Metal Performance” for “Portrait” in 2003, and “Best Hard Rock Performance” for “Youth of the Nation”
[feat. Cedella & Shannon Marley], and “God Forbid” [feat. Page Hamilton of Helmet]. Logging a Top 20 debut, 2012’s Murdered Love included fan favorites “Eyez” [feat. Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed] and “West Coast Rock Steady” [feat. Sen Dog of Cypress Hill]. After 2015’s conceptual The Awakening, Circles earmarked the start of a whole new chapter in 2018. Signing to Mascot Label Group, the boys extensively collaborated with production duo The Heavy and popped off with a dynamic distillation of their trademark style. Billboard claimed, “P.O.D. takes a leap forward with ‘Circles’,” as “Listening For The Silence” [4 million Spotify streams] and “Always Southern California” [3.2 million Spotify streams] lit up DSPs. As they continue writing music, touring across continents, and progressing, P.O.D. maintain the same purpose that united them in the first place.
also in 2003. Not to mention, the band joined Carlos Santana on stage at the Latin GRAMMY® Awards to perform the collaboration “America.”
“If you really listen to our records, there’s a lot of soul,” Marcos leaves off. “We’re a hardworking band, and we’re here for the people. We want to inspire without an agenda. We want to show love and light.”
Through and through, they embodied a musical universality, holding their own on bills with everyone from System of a Down and Ozzy Osbourne to Korn.
“I’m still surprised we’ve been together for almost thirty years,” smiles Wuv. “I think it just comes down to growing and learning to move forward as one.”
“We’ve always tried to break the mold,” says Marcos. “P.O.D. was never one thing. We’ve found a way to universally give hope inside of the music without judgment. We’re just a rock band, at the end of the day.”
“P.O.D. is a family,” Traa exclaims. “It’s as much a part of me as my wife and children are. Being able to be a part of something that has touched crowds is an honor. We’re blessed to do this.”
Three top 10 albums followed with 2003’s gold-certified Payable on Death, 2006’s Testify, and 2008’s When Angels & Serpents Dance. The latter boasted “dream collaborations” such as “Kaliforn-Eye-A” [feat. Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies], “I’ll Be Ready”
“We always want to be meaningful on the next record, tour, and season,” Sonny concludes. “Honor and integrity are more important than anything. As long as I’m breathing and making some music, I’m good with it.” — Rick Florino January 2022 • Music News
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The Wheel Workers Photos by Daniel Jackson 8
Music News • January 2022
Texas-based underground indie music collective, The Wheel Workers, announce upcoming music video debut and release show for their latest single, “S.O.S.,” from their new album, “Harbor,” set to drop August 2022. The group, whose career spans two decades and various iterations of its members, is composed of lead singer, guitarist, keyboardist, violinist Steven Higginbotham (the longest standing member and group founder), guitarist and keyboardist Craig Wilkins, keyboardist and singer Erin Rodgers, bassist Zeek Garcia and drummer Kevin Radomski. They released the single “S.O.S.” in October 2020 ahead of the 2020 presidential election to “seek out new life and new civilizations, and boldly request intelligent alien life among the stars to help humanity out of the mess we’ve created for ourselves.” The group will debut their new video for the single on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022 at White Oak Music Hall, located at 2915 N Main St., Houston, Texas 77009. Doors are at 8 p.m. and music kicks off at 8:30 p.m. with Mister Data and Second Lovers. “The song packs in a lot of fun easter eggs,” said frontman Steven Higginbotham. “Drummer Kevin Radomski adds multiple percussion parts that tap out the Morse code pattern for ‘S.O.S.’ and Craig Wilkins’s cover art design is broken up into sections that fit the same ‘dot dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot’ pattern. Finally, the song ends with a selection of greetings to alien life in different languages recorded on the famous ‘Golden Record’ included on board NASA’s Voyager mission in 1977.” Directed by T Lavois Thiebaud, the “S.O.S.” video is a stop-motion and digital animation piece about an unlikely group of humans who come together to build a giant transmission device (mirrored after the Tower of Babel) to send an S.O.S. signal into space in hopes of reaching any empathetic extraterrestrial life. At the end of the video their signal reaches alien life, but it is revealed that the alien planet is in similar trouble and has sent out their own help signal to the humans. “I was thrilled when The Wheel Workers reached out to commission a video for ‘S.O.S.’,” said director T Lavois Thiebaud. “Most of my music videos have a more poetic, vignette style quality to them and I knew for this video
Texas-Based Underground Indie Music Collective The Wheel Workers Announce Upcoming “S.O.S.” Music Video Debut And Show, January 29th at White Oak Music Hall I wanted to challenge myself to combine my collage animation with a narrative storyline.” The music and lyrics for S.O.S. were written by Steven Higginbotham. Also contributing and performing on the track are Craig Wilkins, Kevin Radomski, Erin Rodgers, Zeek Garcia, and Alli Villines. The track was recorded by Steven Higginbotham, Josh Applebee, and Dan Workman. “Producing music with Steven and the band over the past 10 years has become an intuitive and mature process,” said Dan Workman. “When the pandemic hit, we worked for over a year in isolation, sending mixes and tracks back and forth over the net. Because we couldn’t be in the same physical space, we learned how to inhabit ‘the space of the song.’ Reconvening in-person work found us making better decisions, faster. Our pandemic album is the best Wheel Workers effort in a way we could have never anticipated. Adversity brought out so much more in our art and craft.”
The Wheel Workers new album “Harbor” is slated to be released in August of 2022 represents the yearning for comfort, love, and relief a lot of people have felt during these past few years; years filled with relentless chaos, covid, political tribalism, and so on. In their own lives, they’ve gone through a difficult, tumultuous season but have found harbor from the world’s seemingly endless storms in the music and in each other. The forthcoming album was produced by Dan Workman and Steven Higginbotham and recorded at Studio WheelWorks in Houston by Higginbotham, Josh Applebee and Workman. It was mastered by Dave McNair at Dave McNair Mastering and mixed by Dan Workman. All lyrics written by Steven Higginbotham and vocal harmonies performed and cowritten by Erin Rodgers, Craig Wilkins, and Alli Villines. Drum parts co-written and performed by Kevin Radomski. continued on next page January 2022 • Music News
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and lyrically, it extends far beyond the political heat of the moment.” Over the years, the band has been nominated for eight Houston Press Music Awards and their intense and compelling live performances propelled them to stages across the United States, from Milwaukee’s Summerfest to Houston’s Free Press Summerfest, where they had the honor of sharing the stage with artists such as Flaming Lips and Phantogram.
The Wheel Workers continued from previous page The Wheel Workers can be described as less of a singular band and more of a Texas-based underground indie music collective that spans two decades and more than 15 contributing members. The original band members (first known as The Wheel Works) got their start in Austin, Texas in the early 2000s. The band, led by songwriter, singer, lyricist and frontman Steven Higginbotham, with Giuseppe Ponti on bass, Nathan Maness on drums and Chris Maness and Chad Fontenot on guitar, spent the first few years of the new millennium living together in a house on Houston St., recording music that John Aielli of KUT’s Elektikos called “truly eclectic.” Featuring violin and keyboards along with traditional rock instruments, the band moved seamlessly between catchy indie rock tunes and introspective acoustic ballads on their 2003 debut album. The band then significantly broadened its horizons on 2004’s “How to Fly a Washing Machine,” an album composed entirely of radical post-rock spontaneous improvisations recorded in 10 Music News • January 2022
the band’s in-home studio. The original iteration of the group disbanded in 2005 when Higginbotham moved to Houston, TX, but those original members have contributed regularly to later albums from the group. After a hiatus and reconfiguring of the band between 2006 – 2010, The Wheel Workers started up again in 2007 when Higginbotham partnered with Craig Wilkins on the release of the group’s next project “Unite” (2010). Shortly thereafter, the band began a longstanding relationship with legendary Houston producer Dan Workman (Beyonce, Lyle Lovett, ZZ Top), who would mix their next three highly acclaimed albums: “Past to Present” (2013), “Citizens” (2015 – referred to as “a true masterpiece” by Free Press Houston), and “Post-Truth” (2018). The first track on Post-Truth, “White Lies,” debuted on The Onion’s A.V. Club, who described the track as “hardcharging...successful political art [that] foregrounds the artistry... [and] musically
The Wheel Workers have stood the test of time with a career that spans over two decades and a discography that exemplifies their lyrical depth, sonic diversity and has solidified them as an underground indie rock staple of Texas music. The group is currently composed of lead singer, guitarist, keyboardist, violinist Steven Higginbotham (the longest standing member and group founder), guitarist and keyboardist Craig Wilkins, keyboardist and singer Erin Rodgers, bassist Zeek Garcia and drummer Kevin Radomski. Their latest project, “Harbor,” set to be released August 2022, was recorded over the span of a three year period (interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that Higginbotham was in law school while recording) in Higginbotham’s home recording studio. It also comes after Higginbotham fractured his larynx and thought he would never sing again. Now, nearly three years after the fracture, Higginbotham feels stronger vocally, due to all the work he put in during speech therapy and tailored voice lessons. The record was produced and mixed by their long-time pal, acclaimed producer Dan Workman, who helped shape and craft the songs into their final form, creating a record that showcases the band’s eclectic underground indie rock prowess with fuzzy guitars and synthesizers. With their latest project the group delves into very personal and profound territory as they explore enduring and overcoming personal, social and political trauma and how the members have come to support each other through their individual experiences. Fans of The Wheel Workers, new and old, will be able to find something relatable and true in their newest project, all the while enjoying the indie rock tunes and energy that the group has been bringing to the table for decades. To learn more about The Wheel Workers, please see here. Follow The Wheel Workers on Spotify, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp and YouTube.
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January 2, 16, 30
Jan. 14 William & The Texas Starlights
Jan. 22 Space City Nomads
Jan. 29 Patrick B. Ray
Jim Beam Concert Series
January 15 Jan. 6 - Rick Lee Jan. 13 - The Hightailers Jan. 20 - James Wilhite & The Chariots Jan. 27 - Sonny Boy Terry
Danno Simpson Dog Friendly
Jan. 7 Kory Quinn
Jan. 6 Rick Lee
Jan. 9 Shame On Me
Jan. 27 Sonny Boy Jan. 13 The Hightailers Terry January 28 The Mighty Orq Band
Mondays- The Evolution of Quiz Trivia • Sundays - Bingo 3 - 5 pm January Live Music Schedule 1/1 - Voodoo Rodeo 1/2 - Seymore’s Sunday Shootout 1/6 - Rick Lee 1/7 - Kory Quinn 1/8 - Line Shack 6 1/9 - Shame On Me (6-9pm) 1/13 - The Hightailers
1/14 - William & The Texas Starlight 1/15 - Danno Simpson 1/16 - Seymore’s Sunday Shootout (6-9pm) 1/20 - James Wilhite & The Chariots 1/21 - Mitch Jacobs
1/22 - Space City Nomads (6-9pm) 1/23 - Broken Spkes Trio 1/27 - Sonny Boy Terry 1/28 - The Mighty Orq 1/29 - Patrick B. Ray 1/30 - Seymore’s Sunday Shootout (6-9pm) January 2022 • Music News
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From the driving blues of the opening track “You Can’t Rule Me” to the ominous gothic “Pray the Devil Back to Hell,” from punk-blues-fueled “Bone of Contention” to fire ‘n brimstone “Drop by Drop (Big Rotator),” Williams has never been more raw and direct, with gut-punching wordplay crossing the Good Book with hip-hop with Ginsbergian beat poetry. The WilliamsOverby collaborative songwriting experiment clearly has been a success. “It just happened organically,” says Williams. “Tom and I started working on songs together and he came up with some of the ideas. He gave me lines that he’d written and I took it from there. I love it because it expands things. ‘Man Without a Soul’ was his idea, and he came up with ‘Big Black Train,’ about that big black cloud of depression. When I listen to that track, it makes me cry.”
Lucinda Williams Performs At The Heights Theatre Three-time Grammy Award-winner Lucinda Williams is set to perform at The Heights Theater on January 26. On her first full headlining tour since the release of 2020’s Good Souls Better Angels, Williams will bring her raw, visceral songwriting to cities across America early next year. Praised by Rolling Stone as “her best LP since 1998’s ‘Car Wheels On A Gravel Road’”, the critically acclaimed Grammynominated Good Souls Better Angels is Williams at her boldest, speaking to the injustices permeating our society and “drawing from punk as much as roadhouse blues”, according to Pitchfork. The album received high praise from Associated Press, New York Times, People Magazine, Variety and more. See additional press highlights HERE. Williams has been eagerly awaiting to bring the songs of Good Souls Better Angels on the road since early 2020. And while Good Souls Better Angels reflects the many dark realities that surround us, the album is tied together with themes of perseverance, resilience and ultimately, hope — something that’s sure to shine through in her upcoming performances. Consistently labeled as one of the greatest American songwriters, Lucinda Williams is also known for her gritty and impassioned live shows that have become a staple over the course of her four-decade career and 14 studio albums. Now, at 68, Williams’ career shows no signs of slowing down. One could even argue that she’s in the middle of the most prolific period of her career, as her introspective lyrics and honest vocals continue to connect with fans worldwide. “It’s all come full circle,” says Lucinda Williams about her powerful new album, Photo by Jeff Fasano Good Souls Better Angels. After more than forty years of music making, the pioneering, Music News•• November •December January 2022 612 Music Music News News 2020
Louisiana-born artist has returned to the gritty blues foundation that first inspired her as a young singer-songwriter in the late 1970s. And after spending the last year on her soldout “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” 20th Anniversary tour, Williams has reunited with that game-changing 1998 album’s coproducer and engineer Ray Kennedy, recording Good Souls, Better Angels with her ace touring band at his Nashville studio. Joining them as co-producer is Williams’ manager Tom Overby, to whom she’s been married for a decade and who contributed lyrics to her masterful songcraft. “That’s what I always dreamed of – a relationship with someone I could create with,” Williams enthuses. The result – Good Souls Better Angels – is the most topical album of Williams’ career. The dangerous world we live in, the constant barrage of a frightening news cycle, depression, domestic abuse, a man without a soul – and, yeah, the devil – figure prominently among its twelve tracks. “The devil comes into play quite a bit on this album,” Williams says. “I’ve always loved the imagery in Robert Johnson songs and those really dark Delta blues that are sort of biblical. I was inspired by Leonard Cohen – he dealt with that in his songs – and Bob Dylan and Nick Cave.” While, Good Souls Better Angels reflects many dark realities that surround us, the album is tied together with themes of perseverance, resilience and ultimately, hope. As for the topicality of the material, Williams says, “Because of all this crap that’s going on, it’s on the top of everybody’s minds – it’s all anybody talks about: Basically, the world’s falling apart – it’s like the apocalypse. That’s where that Old Testament stuff comes from. It’s different from my other albums in that there aren’t the story songs about my childhood and all. It feels exciting.”
Recording live in Ray Kennedy’s vintage-equipped studio, Williams and her longtime band – guitarist Stuart Mathis, bassist David Sutton, and drummer Butch Norton – cut most of the songs in two or three takes, with the rhythm section’s rock-solid pulse and Mathis’ versatile sonic attacks backing Williams’ distinctive passiondrenched vocals. The brutal “Wakin’ Up,” punctuated by Mathis’ chainsaw guitar, viscerally details a woman’s harrowing escape from domestic violence, while the pensive “Shadows & Doubts” sheds light our quick-to-judge, social-media-led society and how everyone may love you one moment, but completely abandon you the next. Williams turns Greg Garing’s honky-tonk shuffle “Down Past the Bottom” into a dark-night-ofthe-soul hard rocker. Tongue-in-cheek irony leads the swingin’ “Bad News Blues” as Williams bemoans a plethora of “liars and lunatics/fools and thieves/clowns and hypocrites” and Mathis’ guitar work slithers around the lyrics like a snake. The bittersweet counterpoint “When the Way Gets Dark,” with its lovely melody and evocative guitar, offers hope to us all, Williams urging in her most tender vocals, “Don’t give up/Take my hand/You’re not alone.” Williams has traveled a long road since her 1979 debut, Ramblin’ on My Mind, followed by Happy Woman Blues, her first album of originals released forty years ago in 1980. (She says that she’s still “the same girl” except that now “I have a bigger fan base and I can afford to stay at better hotels.”) Over the course of fourteen remarkable albums, three Grammy awards, and countless accolades, including Time’s Songwriter of the Year of 2001, Williams is one of our most revered artists, beloved for her singular vocals and extraordinary songs. Her recent double albums, Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone (2014) and Ghosts of Highway 20 (2016), released on her own label, received some of the best reviews of her career. Giving voice to all her experience, Williams ends Good Souls, Better Angels with the luminous “Good Souls,” one of the last songs written for the album. It is a deeply moving invocation: “Keep me with all of those/who help me find strength/when I’m feeling hopeless/who guide me along/And help me stay strong and fearless.”
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touches on various styles they’ve covered over the course of their career. 2014 saw the release of Trampled by Turtles’s seventh studio album, Wild Animals, on July 15th. The band tapped Alan Sparhawk, from the band Low, to produce Wild Animals. Sparhawk’s influence is evident in the band’s seemingly more alternative, high lonesome sound.
Trampled By Turtles Perform At White Oak Music Hall On January 13 Progressive bluegrass band Trampled by Turtles are from Duluth, Minnesota, where frontman Dave Simonett initially formed the group as a side project in 2003. At the time, Simonett had lost most of his music gear, thanks to a group of enterprising car thieves who’d ransacked his vehicle while he played a show with his previous band. Left with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, he began piecing together a new band, this time taking inspiration from bluegrass, folk, and other genres that didn’t rely on amplification. Simonett hadn’t played any bluegrass music before, and he filled his lineup with other newcomers to the genre, including fiddler Ryan Young (who’d previously played drums in a speed metal act) and jam band bassist Tim Saxhaug. Along with mandolinist Erik Berry and banjo player Dave Carroll, the group began carving out a fast, frenetic sound that owed as much to rock & roll as bluegrass. Trampled by Turtles released their first record, Songs from a Ghost Town, in 2004. In a genre steeped in tradition, the album stood out for its contemporary sound, essentially bridging the gap between the bandmates’ background in 14 Music News • January 2022
rock music and their new acoustic leanings. Blue Sky and the Devil (2005) and Trouble (2007) explored a similar sound, but it wasn’t until 2008 and the band’s fourth release, Duluth, that Trampled by Turtles received the full support of the bluegrass community. Duluth peaked at number eight on the Billboard bluegrass chart and paved the way for a number of festival appearances. When Palomino arrived in 2010, it was met with an even greater response, debuting at the top of the bluegrass chart and remaining in the Top Ten for more than a year. Two years later, their crossover appeal landed them at number 32 on the Billboard 200 pop charts upon the release of their sixth album, Stars and Satellites. In addition to major bluegrass and folk festivals, they began showing up at Coachella, Bumbershoot, and Lollapalooza. The official concert album, Live at First Avenue, followed in 2013, recorded at Minnesota’s most famous venue. A year later, the band returned with the darker-toned Wild Animals, which bettered its studio predecessor on the album charts, reaching number 29. To record their eighth album, Life Is Good on the Road, Trampled by Turtles secluded themselves in a cabin in rural Minnesota, emerging with an album that
Trampled released their latest album Life Is Good On The Open Road in 2018. Life is Good on the Open Road is the sound of freedom washing over the group like a sunrise, a new day rising. When discussing the album, both Simonett and Berry toyed with the phrase “return to form,” suggesting that it captures something pure and essential about the Trampled by Turtles sound. “Tim said something kind of interesting – he said, ‘This is the most Trampled by Turtles record we’ve ever made,’” says Berry. “He’s right.” The band weaves their instruments together like a seamless tapestry, laying down a bed that seems to float underneath Simonett’s expressive voice. Each song seems to tell its own story, from tales of nights gone wrong to love that’s been lost and dreams that need chasing, and the group shifts in unison from tender ballads to barn burning hairraisers, sometimes in the same song. Simonett’s lyrics, which have grown ever sharper over the years, occasionally rise up to shoot an arrow directly through the heart. “I’ve been moving logs just to keep the fire burning / My voice is gone but the band wants to play,” he sighs on “Right Back Where We Started,” while the title track offers pure poetry: “Run so fast through the fields in May / I forgot what I had to say / I’ve never been through a harder day / Than the one that left your ghost here.” Although no songs directly address the band’s time apart, there are metaphors that speak to the experience of putting Trampled by Turtles to bed and waking it back up again. As the band prepares to swing back into action, perhaps there’s no better line to summarize their return than on that title track, “Life is Good on the Open Road”: “The light inside you comes and goes / But it never really goes out.”
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The third video released from the Hellbound record fis or the track “Wasting No More Time.” The video was directed by KasterTroy and was shot at Nelson’s Landing, a legendary ghost town 45 minutes from Las Vegas. It follows videos for the songs “So Hott” and “Hellbound.” You can watch that video at https://youtu.be/ yxIX_1CFRKE. The fourth video released from their new album is for the track “Gun” taken from their current release Hellbound. This is the fourth video from Hellbound following videos for “So Hott,” “Hellbound,” and “Wasting No More Time.”
Buckcherry Return To Houston For A Show At Rise Rooftop After playing 100 shows in 2021, Buckcherry kicks off 2022 with a coheadlining run with country rap rock band The Lacs. The band is touring in support of their new album release, Hellbound.
future date. Hellbound represents the first album released by Buckcherry and their new label partners, Round Hill Records in North America, Earache Records in the UK, Europe, and Australia, and Sony Japan in Japan.
The 15-date tour starts January 7 in Kyle, Texas and they will be in Houston the following night, January 8 at Rise Rooftop. Buckcherry will perform an additional eight shows headlining. Core will support on all shows. VIP packages can be purchased at Buckcherry.com.
To date, Buckcherry has released four videos from the new album. The first video from Hellbound was “So Hott,” and you can watch the video here at https://youtu.be/OXkpd5ciP9s. The video, directed by KasterTroy, was filmed in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The track will be available for streaming and digital download at all DSPs at https://lnk.to/BC_Hellbound.
The 10-track record was produced by Marti Frederiksen, who previously produced the band’s fourth album, Black Butterfly, and co-wrote one of their biggest hits “Sorry.” Frederiksen cowrote the majority of the album along with vocalist Josh Todd and guitarist Stevie D. The album was recorded in Nashville in November 2020. Buckcherry continues to support their ninth studio album Hellbound, which was released in June. The band is working on tour plans for the remainder of 2022 and these will be announced at a 16 Music News • December 2020
Buckcherry released their second video for the title track of their new album Hellbound. The video, directed by KasterTroy and shot in Las Vegas, follows the release of the video for the song “So Hott.” The “Hellbound” track is available now for download and streaming on all DSPs here at https:// lnk.to/BC_Hellbound. You can watch the video for “Hellbound” at https:// youtu.be/9n6qSjfvRn0.
“Gun” is an homage to the exploits of the legendary 1930s bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde. The video, edited by Stephen Wiggins, features live band performance footage shot at this year’s Summerfest in Milwaukee, as well as historical newsreel footage of Bonnie and Clyde shot in the 1930s. You can watch the video for “Gun” at https:// youtu.be/VLUba8FWbnQ. Buckcherry is thrilled to announce that its third studio album 15 was certified today double platinum by the RIAA for overall sales of 2 million units. At the same time, the track “Crazy Bitch” was certified quadruple platinum for overall sales of over 4 million units and the track “Sorry” was certified double platinum for overall sales of over 2 million units. 15 was released in 2006 and was the first Buckcherry album after a four-year hiatus.
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Van Wilks Performs Green Oaks Tavern In Humble and Katie’s Bar In Bacliff Texas-based guitarist Van Wilks, who’s won awards as Best Guitarist for both electric and acoustic categories and Best Blues-Rock Band four years in-arow in the Austin Chronicle music poll, will be performing in the Houston area this month at both Green Oaks Tavern in Humble on January 14 and Katie’s Bar In Bacliff on January 15. Be sure to join him at one or both of these great venues as he performs a heapin’ helpin’ of those good ole’ Texas Blues! Van will be there performing songs from his most recent album, 20th Century Blues as well as Coco’s Hideaway, and Running From Ghosts. 20th Century Blues, his most recent album released was produced by Van Wilks, who’s also been voted into the Austin Chronicle Texas Music Hall of Fame, 21st Century Blues was recorded and mixed by Chet Himes at Relentless Ranch Studios in Dripping Springs, Texas, and Chicken Run Studios in South Austin. Texas-sized special guests on the new CD include Grammy-winner Christopher Cross and Austin vocal hero Malford Milligan, both of whom appear on “She Makes Me Crazy,” a song
written by Cross (who also plays guitar on the track) with Milligan adding his trademark dynamic voice. Also making his presence known on 21st Century Blues is the legendary Billy F. Gibbons, who co-wrote “Drive by Lover” with Wilks, a song that made its initial appearance on an earlier ZZ Top album. When you think Texas blues-rock, you think Van Wilks’. There are few names that have lasted and flourished within the Texas music scene like Wilks. Fads come and go, but Van Wilks is here to stay, as evidenced by his latest release, 21st Century Blues. Like the steam engine on the cover, 21st Century Blues, his first studio album in 10 years, is a powerful beast that keeps on rolling from start to finish. Recorded at studios in Austin and France, 21st Century Blues is the real deal. This diverse collection of songs highlights Wilks’ impressive guitar styling with his striking lyricism to create a contemporary blues-rock masterpiece. As Wilks says, “This is not a typical “blues” record. This is “MY BLUES” and even though the songs jump from one feel to another the common thread that holds it all together is my guitar. It’s just that ‘Low Down, Wound Up,
Rockin’ Texas Blues.’” The lead track, “Strange Girl,” lets you know from the onset what kind of album 21st Century Blues will be. With its fiery guitar work and cutting lyrics, “Strange Girl” bridges the gap between the blues-rock of yesteryear and contemporary rock, leaving the listener wanting more. Van Wilks does not leave us waiting, as the following track, “Drive By Lover, ” co-written with long time friend and ZZ Top member, Billy F. Gibbons, delivers an inexplicably Texas fueled performance dripping in blues guitar goodness. As described by Wilks, the path to having “Drive By Lover” on the album was long and winding. “We played around with the idea for years in late night hours at my house on Elizabeth St. in South Austin. It was forgotten until Billy asked me if I could revive it or even remember it! I sent him a few continued on page 20
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Music News • January 2022
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CRIS CROCHEMORE BAND Saturday January 8 WHITT-NESS Sunday January 9 VAN WILKS Friday January 14 JONN DEL TORO RICHARDSAON Saturday January 29
KEVIN & DEREK SWANSON Wednesday January 12
TWEED SMITH Friday January 28
CHRIS CASTANEDA PROJECT Saturday January 15
HOLLAND K. SMITH Friday January 21
SPARKY PARKER BAND Saturday January 22
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crackle of vinyl. Once you begin to settle into the song, a roaring electric guitar vaults you from your seat, bringing the song into the 21st Century. Wilks flexes the guitar muscle he is known for, filling the song with incredible solos. Overall, “There’s A Sin In There Somewhere,” reminds you why Van Wilks’ music is built to last. Born in Galveston, TX, Van Wilks began playing guitar at a young age as a youthful refuge while his family constantly moved around Texas. Influenced heavily by the British Invasion, Wilks began to hone in on his sound early on. He moved to Austin in the early 70s, a time when guitar was defined by volume and power. Combining previous influences and his own style, Wilks brought his guitar muscle and class to the people of Austin through his popular band, Fools. Wilks’ distinct and unique ability caught the attention of many notable industry
Van Wilks
continued from page 18 vignettes from a barely working cassette and a few hours later he played me the track from a LA studio. ‘Whip up some words, Dusty’s ready to give it a go’, he said. So I put the pen to the paper and the, long in the making, tune ends up on ZZ’s ‘La Futura.’ Billy came out to the studio and we “messed it up” just right for my take on our tune.” Just as you feel you have 21st Century Blues figured out, tracks like “Just Walk Away” and “There’s A Sin In There Somewhere” emerge to reassemble the listeners’ image of Van Wilks. “Just Walk Away” is a slow ballad that creates an atmosphere that draws the listener in and allows them to connect with Wilks on a level that transcends music. After listening to “Just Walk Away,” one would think Dan Auerbach took a page from Van Wilks’ book, as the comparison is only a natural one. One of Wilks’ favorite tracks, “There’s A Sin In There Somewhere” is a 6-minute tour de force that is truly a tale of two songs. The track begins with the crackle of a vinyl record, paying homage to the greats that came before him. Soon, a slick, 1929 Dobro lick emerges, accompanied by the stomp of Wilks foot, his robust voice, and the continued 20 Music News • January 2022
names, including ZZ Top manager, Bill Ham. In 1979, he signed with Mercury records and released his first record, Bombay Tears, in 1980. Since his first release, Van Wilks has built an illustrious career that includes six solo albums, one live album, and multiple globe-spanning tours with acts such as ZZ Top, Heart, Van Halen, Journey, Aerosmith, and countless other. His career has led him on a scorched earth path from Texas to Moscow, the Virgin Islands to India, and everywhere in between. Along with that, Van Wilks was featured on ZZ Top’s Live at Montreux Jazz Festival DVD. Throughout the years, Wilks has acquired an impressive trophy collection, winning multiple Austin Music Awards, being voted best electric and acoustic guitarist in the Austin Chronicle Readers Poll, and being inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame. In addition to that, Wilks guitar prowess has been featured on albums such as the Geezinslaw Brothers’ The Eclectic Horseman (w/ Willie Nelson), The Texas Christmas Collection (Duet w/ Eric Johnson), Texas Guitarslingers Volume I, Double Trouble’s Been A Long Time, and KLBJFM’s Local Licks. Van Wilks credentials highlight his successful and storied past. 21st Century Blues lets us know that Van Wilks will continue to be a trendsetter that is here to stay.
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OPEN MIC EVERY WEDNESDAY HOSTED BY HEAVY HONEYS Saturday, January 1 - Longmire, Garden Party, Peoples, Heavy Honeys Sunday, January 2 - Red Dragon, Zachary Kole Johnson, Jesus Carlos Thursday, January 6 - Chris Lloyd, Darcy Segura, Scotti Fraser Friday, January 7 - Grave Next Door, Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf, Gravehuffer, Doomstress Saturday, January 8 - Thurzdaze, Zton3, Bring Me The Humans Sunday, January 9 - Ratchet Dolls, BrainWashed, Drunk Ned Thursday, January 13 - Cujo And The Wild, Casual Heathens, Shadylyn Friday, January 14 - I The Breather, Sleep Waker, Curses, Execution Day, Anathemia Saturday, January 15 - LONG/LAST and MNMLST, Bright Fires, Backdrop Violet Sunday, January 16 - Cedars ,Garden Party, Johnny King and Glen Thursday, January 20 - Gaia, Planet Moon Friday, January 21 - The Great American Nuclear Thrash Bash Saturday, January 22 - Deadset Red Sunday, January 23 - Relent ,Reckless High, Diosa Thursday, January 27 - Wolf King, Frail Body, Knoll, State Of Filth Friday, January 28 - The Spectrum Blues Band, The Rotary Phones Saturday, January 29 - Black Tooth Grin Tx (Pantera Tribute). Spiritus (Ghost Tribute), Victims Of A System (System of a Down Tribute), Deftunes (Deftones Tribute) Sunday, January 30 - Matt Cash, Bipolar Joyride, Engineered Society Project January 2022 • Music News
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four hit singles, and charted in the Top 20 in the magazine’s Top Latin Albums the following year, all on its way to becoming one of the best-selling salsa albums of all time. It went multiplatinum and received airplay throughout the Caribbean and the United States. It resulted in the first of the Rivera’s Grammy nominations. Magia Though he gradually evolved from singing strictly salsa and toward a more nuanced approach, adding boleros and tropical pop ballads to his repertoire, Rivera’s success continued. Both 1995’s Magia and 1996’s Fresco hit the top spot on the Tropical albums chart and went platinum. Released in 1997, Ya No Soy el Nino Aquel made a turn toward hard, jazzy salsa again, and scored in both the Latin and Tropical albums charts. De Otra Manera followed in 1998 and found the restless, cagey singer making another left turn, recording two Mexican-style rancheras along with tropical pop. After a break from the studio and massive touring, Rivera took a well-deserved rest. The label supplemented his catalog with hits sets during the recording lull.
Jerry Rivera Performs at The Arena Theatre January 29 Jerry Rivera is a Grammynominated, multi-platinum salsa singer from Puerto Rico who has been active as a recording artist since he was a teenager. He was born in 1973, in Huamco, Puerto Rico, the son of singers Edwin “Pino” and Domingo Rivera. He began singing with his parents at various gatherings and was given small solo showcases at his parents’ concerts. Pino recorded Jerry when he was 14 and sent the demo to CBS/Sony Discos, who signed him to a long recording contract. His debut album, Empezando a Vivir, was recorded in 1989. Its first single, 22 Music News • January 2022
“De la Cabeza a los Pies,” made the compilation album Non-Stop Dancing, Vol. 2 and received airplay. His sophomore effort, Abriendo Puertas, issued in 1990, scored two hit singles, “Dime” and “Más Que Tu,” on the Billboard Latin Songs charts. Cuenta Conmigo Taken together, they established Rivera has a hot young talent and set the stage for his smash third album, 1992's Cuenta Conmigo, which hit the top spot of Billboard’s Tropical/Salsa chart (and remained there for the better part of the year), scored
Para Siempre At the turn of the century, he returned with the adventurous Para Siempre in 2000, his most diverse collection to date that featured plena, boleros, and pop; it was his final album for Sony. His 2002 album, Vuela Muy Alto, was produced in Italy, and featured (mostly) ballads. It is regarded highly among his fans as a brave recording, and one that showcased his continued viability as an ambitious artist and expanded his fan base throughout Latin America. It also proved to be Rivera’s most successful release in the United States. His 2003 offering, Canto a Mi Idolo... Frankie Ruiz, was a return to his hard salsa roots, and earned the singer a Grammy nomination — even though it proved controversial to Ruiz fans. Meanwhile, Rivera’s touring was incessant, playing to packed houses across the Americas. In 2005 the singer played himself in Mi Destino Eres Tu, a hit Univision telenovela. In 2007, Rivera once more offered a unique tribute on the EMIissued Caribe Gardel. The album was a radical Afro-Caribbean/salsa reworking of tangos by the Argentinian master Carlos Gardel. El Amor Existe, another collection of ballads, was issued in 2011, followed by Jerry Christmas in 2012. Two albums, Evolucion and Frente a Frente, followed in 2015.
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Authority Zero Perform At The Scout Bar Authority Zero is on tour right now in support of their new release, Ollie Ollie Oxen Free. The band will be appearing at The Scout Bar on February 2nd. A versatile punk outfit from Arizona, Authority Zero have sustained a multi-decade career based around a unique sound that blends hardcore, skatepunk, reggae, and ska with Spanish and Portuguese influences. After building a strong regional following in the late 1990s, they broke out nationally with albums like Andiamo (2004) and Stories of Survival (2010). Despite numerous lineup shifts and setbacks, Authority Zero continued to thrive in the 2010s, celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2015 and releasing 2017’s Broadcasting to the Nations, which earned the highest chart position of their career. The band released their eighth studio album, Ollie Ollie Oxen Free, in 2021. Authority Zero was formed in 1994 in Mesa, Arizona by high school friends Jason DeVore (vocals), Bill Marcks (guitar/vocals), Jerry Douglas (vocals/guitar), Jeremy Wood (bass), and J.W. Gordon (drums). During its first five years, the band eagerly pushed its sound, playing countless house parties, colleges, and club shows in and around Arizona. By the end of the decade Douglas had departed and the band found a steady drummer in Jim Wilcox. Drawing comparisons to Rage Against the Machine, they found an early home with local independent label Zia Records who issued the Authority Zero’s self-titled debut EP in 2001. It yielded a pair of college radio hits in “One More Minute” and “Sky’s the Limit” and EP quickly became Zia’s best-selling release. Around this time the band scaled back on its riveting metal-like sound for structured hard rock that accented the band’s multicultural backgrounds and diverse musical tastes Making the jump to Atlantic affiliate Lava Records, Authority Zero made their full-length debut, A Passage in Time, in fall 2002. With nods to influences like Bad Religion, Dick Dale, Manu Chao, and Sublime, it helped gain them some national traction and they were soon touring with Guttermouth and H2O and making appearances on the Warped Tour. Writing their next album in the span of a month, Authority Zero returned in 2004 with the culturally diverse and Latin-flavored Andiamo, produced by Ryan Greene (Lagwagon, Strung Out). Having completed their deal with Lava, they followed it with the 2006 live acoustic Rhythm and Booze album on Suburban Noize. Released in early 2007, their third album, 12:34 explored faster skatepunk sounds and was again produced by Greene. By this point, the group had cycled through a number of different members and with the 2008 departure of founding guitarist Marcks, was essentially anchored by mainstays DeVore and Wood, the latter of whom had taken his own break from the band. Despite this, 2010’s Stories of Survival, marked a creative and commercial high point for Authority Zero, hitting number five on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. Wood bowed out again before 2013’s The Tipping Point, leaving DeVore to lead a mostly new lineup through subsequent tours as well as the band’s 20th anniversary show in 2015 at their hometown venue Club Red. In 2017, after enduring yet more lineup changes and a stolen tour van, Authority Zero made a heroic return their sixth studio long-player, Broadcasting to the Nations, which hit number two on the Heatseekers chart. Persona Non Grata, arrived one year later along with a third addition of the band’s live acoustic Rhythm and Booze albums. Heading into the next decade, Authority Zero’s creative control relied on the co-writing team of DeVore and later-era bassist Mike Spero with drummer Chris Dalley keeping time. In June 2021, with new guitarist Eric Walsh on board, the band released its seventh studio set, Ollie Ollie Oxen Free. 24 Music News • January 2022
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her career and looked after her son. In 1999, she landed a leading role on the daytime drama Passions, and her character appeared on the show until 2008. Her success allowed the family to settle in the L.A. Bryce Vine was born Bryce RossJohnson in New York City on June 16, 1988. His mother, Tracey Ross, was an actress and his father, Brad Johnson, was a restaurateur. When he was ten years old, Vine moved with his mother to Los Angeles, where she pursued her career and looked after her son. In 1999, she landed a leading role on the daytime drama Passions, and her character appeared on the show until 2008. Her success allowed the family to settle in the L.A. suburb of Westlake Village, and watching his mother at work inspired young Vine to consider a career in the arts. His father shared a love of vintage R&B with his son, and when Vine was 13, his parents gave him a guitar, which he taught himself to play. In addition to ’90s R&B, he was also strongly influenced by pop-punk and alternative rock, especially Green Day and Third Eye Blind.
Rapper Bryce Vine Brings His Show To Warehouse Live January 20th Distilling nimble wordplay, hypercharged hooks, and intimate guitars into genre-less and timeless songcraft, Bryce Vine leaves his stamp on pop music and culture. Since emerging in 2013, the Los Angelesbased multi-platinum singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist has quietly built a devoted audience with EPs such as Lazy Fair (2014) and Night Circus (2016). However, he popped off on an international scale with the double-platinum smash “Drew Barrymore.” It paved the way for the platinum “La La Land” [feat. YG] and his first full-length in 2019, Carnival. And when the world shut down in 2020, Bryce also looked inward and released the contemplative EP Problems. Along the way, he attracted widespread acclaim from Bustle, Billboard, Teen Vogue, American Songwriter, VIBE, Flaunt and more, with TIME declaring “Bryce Vine is the epitome of low-key cool.” In addition to tallying over 1 billion total streams, he delivered a series of 26 Music News • January 2022
unforgettable performances on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, Wendy Williams, The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Late Late Show with James Corden, Live with Kelly and Ryan, Good Morning America, and more. Bryce Vine is a rapper and singer who blends pop, rap, and alternative rock influences, delivering witty, thoughtful lyrics and catchy hooks. As an independent artist, he scored an online hit with the 2014 single “Sour Patch Kids,” but he made his major breakthrough when “Drew Barrymore” became a viral hit in 2018, leading up to the release of his debut full-length, Carnival, in 2019. Bryce Vine was born Bryce RossJohnson in New York City on June 16, 1988. His mother, Tracey Ross, was an actress and his father, Brad Johnson, was a restaurateur. When he was ten years old, Vine moved with his mother to Los Angeles, where she pursued
With time, Vine honed his talents as a vocalist and writer, and he made his recording debut in 2010 with a guest appearance on G-Eazy’s track “Coming Home.” At the suggestion of family and friends, he auditioned for The Glee Project in 2011, a reality television series intended to recruit talent for the then-popular TV show Glee. While Vine was accepted for The Glee Project’s first season, he was eliminated in the first episode; he later said he was happy with the outcome, telling a reporter, “That was not the right place for me.” Vine continued to focus on his music, attending the prestigious Berklee College of Music. While attending Berklee, he got to know Nolan Lambroza, who was making a name for himself as a producer, working with the likes of Lil Wayne, Pitbull, and Justin Bieber. Lambroza was impressed with Vine’s talents, and he signed him to his independent record label, Kiva House Lambroza. In 2014, Vine released his debut EP, a six-song set called Lazy Fair (the title was a play on the French phrase “laissez-faire,” which was also the name of a boat owned by his parents). The EP spawned two online hits, “Sour Patch Kids” and “Guilty Pleasure,” which respectively racked up over 11 million and five million plays on streaming services. Bryce poked fun at the clichés of hardcore rap with 2015’s “The Thug Song,” a track built around a Green Day sample that prevented it from receiving a commercial release. Another EP, Night Circus, was released in 2016. A year later, Vine issued a single, “Drew Barrymore,” which became a hit after it was re-released in 2018. Early 2019 single “La La Land” (with YG) also reached the Billboard Hot 100, and debut full-length Carnival arrived in July, making the top half of the Billboard 200 album chart. In addition to Carnival, Vine also released the single “I’m Not Alright” with Loud Luxury. He kicked off 2020 with the “Baby Girl” single.
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Sprcial Tribute Show January 9th Mr. V’s Wang Dang Doodle 3-8 PM
Join us January 16 from 2-6 PM for the INTERNATIONAL BLUES SENDOFFS featuring Johnny Riley, Cris Crochemore, and Sugar Shock
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Steve Aoki. Months later, he hit a U.S. chart peak with “Back to You,” a group effort with Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals. He continued into 2019 with a series of singles that eventually landed on his official fulllength debut. Arriving in early 2020, Walls (Syco/Arista) featured a distinct Brit-pop influence, echoing U.K. forebears like Robbie Williams and Oasis.
Louis Tomlinson Performs at Bayou Music Center February 3rd Best known as a member of English boy band One Direction, pop vocalist Louis Tomlinson embarked on a solo career after the group ended their record-breaking, early-2010s run in 2016. After years of releasing singles and appearing on The X Factor — the same show that pushed him into the limelight — he released his official debut album, Walls, in 2020. Born Louis Troy Austin in Doncaster, England, he shot to stardom after appearing on the 2010 edition of The X Factor. He attended school in his hometown, where, by his own admission, he didn’t pay that much attention academically; instead, he was drawn to anything related to music and acting; he played the role of Danny Zuko in his school production of Grease. His active role in the musical motivated him to audition for The X Factor in 2009, but he failed to make the cut. Undeterred, Tomlinson auditioned the following year, this time making it through the preliminary stages. 30
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Initially, he performed as a solo act, but just as he and four others — Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik — were set to be ejected from the solo competition, guest judge Nicole Scherzinger suggested bringing them together and allowing them to continue as One Direction in the group competition. Although One Direction came in third on the show, they went on to become one of The X Factor’s biggest success stories, regularly topping charts worldwide and selling over 50 million records within a decade. Outside of the band, Tomlinson gained a reputation for philanthropy, as he constantly campaigned for, and donated to, various charities. In early 2016, One Direction began an indefinite hiatus, giving the individual members time to pursue their own interests. For Tomlinson, this included becoming a father. Later that year, he released his debut solo single, the platinum-certified “Just Hold On,” a collaboration with
Tomlinson enjoyed worldwide success as part of One Direction. The band’s first single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” was released in September 2011 in the United Kingdom and became a global No. 1 hit. Their first album, Up All Night, was released in early 2012 and was a chart-topper in 16 countries; their second album, Take Me Home (2012), was also a hit. One Direction performed at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in London and has toured the world. One Direction continued to dominate the pop music scene, releasing two more successful albums. Midnight Memories debuted in 2013 and was quickly followed by 2014’s Four, the group’s fourth consecutive studio effort to debut at No. 1. The group went through a major shake-up in 2015, beginning with the departure of Zayn Malik in March. But One Direction finished the year with a flourish, releasing a new album, Made in the A.M., and winning Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards. The group then made one final appearance, on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, before dispersing for an extended hiatus. One Direction returned to the spotlight in February 2017, when its final single from Made in the A.M., “History,” was named Video of the Year at the Brit Awards. Unable to attend the event, Tomlinson posted a clip to Twitter in which he thanked the group’s fans, saying, “You continue to surprise us with just how incredible you are.”
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The Meteors Perform at Warehouse Live January 21 Combining a revved-up variant on the classic rockabilly sound with a tongue-in-cheek obsession with horror movies and cartoonish violence, the Meteors were the U.K.’s leading psychobilly outfit, and often proudly declared that they were the only true exponents of the style (though history shows that the Cramps were serving up their own ghoulish mix of rockabilly and horror first). 1983’s Wreckin’ Crew was the Meteors’ breakthrough album and their definitive release, while 1999’s From Zorch with Love: The Very Best of the Meteors 1981-1987 is a fine overview of their early years, and 2005’s Don’t Touch the Bang Bang Fruit proved that the band was still potent in the 21st century. The Meteors were the brainchild of guitarist and vocalist Paul Fenech, who first made a name for himself in the late ’70s as a member of the British rockabilly group the Southern Boys. After a spell, Fenech and Southern Boys upright bassist Nigel Lewis teamed up to form a two-man rockabilly combo, Rock Therapy; drummer Mark Robertson was added to the lineup in 1980, and the group adopted a new name, Raw Deal. While Raw Deal was beginning to attract attention among rockabilly fans and had landed spots on compilation albums, Fenech decided to give the group a new image. They adopted a punk-inspired look, added a mock-sinister undertow to their music, and adopted lyrics inspired by horror films such as The Hills Have Eyes and Blue Sunshine. Needing a new name to go with their new image, they began calling themselves the Meteors. In 1981, the group released its first album, In Heaven, issued as part of an ill-fated deal with Island Records, but the band’s real breakthrough came with 1983’s Wreckin’ Crew, which featured a hit single cover of “Johnny Remember Me.” By this time, Lewis and Robertson were both out of the band, replaced by Mick White and Steve “Ginger’ Meadham, who took over on bass and drums, respectively; frequent personnel turnovers would be a regular part of the Meteors’ story from this point forward, with Fenech the sole constant though literally dozens of lineups (though drummer Wolfgang Hordemann would join in 1993 and remain with the band well into the 2010s). The Meteors remained a popular attraction in the United Kingdom and Europe, touring frequently and releasing recordings at a steady pace through the 1980s and ’90s, though the group were little more than a cult item in the United States. In the fall of 2000, Fenech announced that the Meteors would be giving up live performances following a swing through Germany, but to the relief of fans, he reconsidered, and a few years later yet another lineup of the group was touring regularly and hard at work on new recordings. The Meteors would release ten albums between 2000 and 2009 while keeping up a busy road schedule, and even though they slowed down a bit in the following decade, they managed to put out both Doing the Lord’s Work and Maniac Rockers from Hell in 2012. Their next studio album, The Power of 3, came out in 2016, and 2021 brought Skull N Bones. It included both vocal and instrumental selections, and a cover of the Adverts’ iconic “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes.” Several cuts from Skull N Bones would also appear on a 2021 CD titled Skull N Bones & the Curse of Skull N Bones, which beefed up the track selection from 12 to 21 songs. 32 Music News • January 2022
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The Arc Angels Bring Their Reunion Tour To Houston’s 713 Music Hall On January 21st Formed in the musical hotbed of Austin, Texas, the Arc Angels consist of some of the finest musical talents to ever play an instrument. With a devoted and adoring fan base, the Arc Angels are known as a tremendous band with an equally tremendous story. That story began in 1992 after the devastating loss of their friend and fellow musician Stevie Ray Vaughan. The miracle that came from that loss was the unique sound of four musicians aptly named – The Arc Angels: drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon (the veteran rhythm section of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble) coupled with musical wonders Charlie Sexton and Doyle Bramhall II sharing lead vocal and lead guitar duties. The foundation of the Arc Angels was laid at the Austin Rehearsal Center (ARC) which so aptly gave them a name. There, Sexton had a writing room to work on his next solo album, Bramhall was working under a development deal with Geffen Records, and Layton had a drum room where he would often practice. The initial idea had been quite simple; create a band that can jam when people happened to be in town or not on tour with Stevie. But Vaughan’s death changed everything. When the foursome came together, the press were quick to dub them a “Texas supergroup,” but the guys shunned that tag. The band was purely a musical outlet and inspiration to all of them. Not intending to be a recording band, the guys played live and just for fun, opening for the likes of Robert Cray. But they soon found the excitement and challenges of being a band, worth the effort. Sexton and Bramhall tabled their solo projects and began creating music specifically for the Arc Angels. The band’s 1992 debut album release, Arc Angels, produced by Steven Van Zandt on Geffen Records met with much critical acclaim and managed to break onto the Billboard Top 200 chart. The sound was unique — raw and intense rock and roll steeped in the roots of Texas blues, but still radio-friendly and widely appealing. The group toured heavily after the album and on Tuesday, June 9, 1992, the Arc Angels made their network television debut on the NBC show “The Late Show with David Letterman” where they performed “Living In A Dream”. On Wednesday,
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January 6, 1993, they again performed on Letterman’s show, this time playing “Too Many Ways to Fall”. It seemed that this Texas quartet was poised to explode onto the national scene. But their name proved a harbinger of things to come; The Arc Angels fell as quickly as they rose. Creative differences, heavy touring, and Bramhall’s admitted descent into a deep, and nearly deadly, heroin addiction caused the breakup of the band in 1994. The Arc Angels came to an abrupt halt in October of that year with a series of farewell concerts at Austin’s Backyard outdoor venue. They each followed their individual paths from there. Bramhall went on to solo projects as well as touring with Roger Waters and Eric Clapton‘s band. Sexton made two critically acclaimed solo albums, toured with Bob Dylan, and has produced numerous high profile artist projects. Meanwhile, Layton recorded three albums with the Texas soul quintet Storyville and has backed such artists as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Buddy Guy and John Mayer. Fast forward to 2020 and once again the stars have aligned to bring the band back together moving forward with a new bass player, as Tommy Shannon had made the decision to retire from performing on stage, the band has scheduled four Texas shows in January 2022. “The stars kind of aligned once again. The band’s back together and we’re doing some new things,” said Layton. “We’re trying to take advantage and savor the good things and one of the good things is the Arc Angels,” added Charlie Sexton. All Texas-born, none of these band members accidentally fell into music. It is part of their collective DNA.
Doyle Bramhall II Saying that he was born with the blues in his blood is no exaggeration. Doyle Bramhall Sr. played drums and sang with Jimmie Vaughan (older brother to Stevie) with The Chessmen in the late 60’s and later with Stevie in The Nightcrawlers. In the early 1970’s, the Vaughan’s and the Bramhall’s lived together sharing musical talents in a big Austin home. Although he started on drums, Bramhall switched to guitar at 14 when his father gave him a vintage Harmony Rocket presented to Doyle Sr. years earlier by the legendary Lightning Hopkins. Playing the guitar left-handed, Bramhall went from playing in clubs at the young age of 15 to performing on stage alongside the likes of Eric Clapton, Roger Waters and Sheryl Crow. Charlie Sexton Sexton was quickly considered a child prodigy when he picked up the guitar at age 4 and began performing onstage at age 11. He became Joe Ely’s lead guitarist at age 13, was touring at 15 opening for The Clash, and made a solo debut album at age 17. Both the album and the single, “Beats So Lonely” were Top 20 Hits. Touring the world followed, including a tour with Bowie, and later recording with greats such as Bob Dylan, Don Henley, and The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and Ron Woods. Sexton has also developed a strong career as a producer, working on numerous highprofile albums for artists such as Lucinda William, Marc Cohn, Edie Brickell and Peter Elkas. Chris Layton A staple on the Austin music scene since 1975, Layton made his mark as part of the hugely successful Stevie Ray Vaughan rhythm section Double Trouble. His talents have led him to recording and touring with Austin-based Storyville and more recently Kenny Wayne Shepherd and in 2015 Layton and Shannon were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble.
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Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre 26 36
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Martin and his band will be performing his 50th Anniversary Celebration of the iconic Tull album Aqualung in The Woodlands at the Dosey Doe on January 25. Martin’s special guest band member for the celebration of this historic album features original Tull drummer Clive Bunker. Aqualung will be played in full and in sequence for the first time ever. The band will also be performing additional Tull classic tracks and some Martin Barre originals as well. Aqualung is Tull’s fourth studio album and was released on March 19, 1971, by Chrysalis Records. Aqualung’s success signaled a turning point in the career of the band, which went on to become a major radio and touring act. Recorded at Island Records’ studio in London, it was their first album with keyboardist John Evan as a full-time member, their first with new bassist Jeffrey Hammond, and last album featuring Clive Bunker on drums, who quit the band shortly after the release of the album. Aqualung is Jethro Tull’s bestselling album, selling more than seven million units worldwide. The album spawned two singles, Hymn 43 and Locomotive Breath and, of course, the title track is an iconic song on its own with Martin’s solo on this track considered as one of classic rock’s greatest guitar solos ever. Martin and the band will also be performing a career-spanning set of many of the Tull classics fans have loved for so many years, along with deep catalog tracks from the band’s various albums. One of the top rock guitarists ever to grace our planet, Martin’s dynamic, expressive, explosive guitar playing was paramount to Jethro Tull’s live and recorded sound, starting with his debut on the band’s classic second album, Stand Up, right up to the band’s eventual demise in 2011. His unique sound and style contributed enormously to their success, which includes several chart-topping albums, eleven gold and five platinum albums, a Grammy Award for Crest of a Knave in 1988, and album sales exceeding 60 million units. Tull’s music continues to be played worldwide, representing an important part of classic rock history that remains noteworthy today.
Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre Celebrates 50 Years Of Aqualung At Dosey Doe January 25th He’s on a short list of amazing, one-of-a-kind, original, influential, rock ‘n’ roll guitarists that have fortunately graced our presence over the years. Finally with things getting back to normal(ish) Martin is back on the road again, touring with his latest epic show celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Jethro Tull’s legendary ‘Aqualung’ album release. The live show touring worldwide throughout Europe, America and Canada will be playing the Aqualung album in full and in sequence, together with other massive Tull classics! Joining Martin on stage is Dan Crisp on vocals, Alan Thomson on bass, Darby Todd on drums. For select shows in America and the entire Canadian tour original Tull band member Clive Bunker will be joining the line up as a special guest! Martin Barre the guitarist of Jethro Tull for over 43 years, his sound and playing was a major factor in their success. Album sales have exceeded 60 million units and they continue to be played worldwide, representing an important part of classic rock history.
Martin’s guitar playing has earned him a high level of respect and recognition; he was voted 25th best solo ever in the USA and 20th best solo ever in the UK for his playing on ‘Aqualung’. His playing on the album ‘Crest of a Knave’ earned him a Grammy award in 1989. As well as numerous Jethro Tull albums, Martin has worked with many other artists including Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa and Chris Thompson and has shared a stage with such legends as Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Martin has put together a band to play the “classic” music from the Tull catalogue. His band is a total commitment to give the Tull fans and a broader audience the chance to hear tracks not performed for many years. The band includes top musicians from a similar background. More recently Martin has collaborated with original Tull band members Clive Bunker and Dee Palmer on a tour across America celebrating 50 Years of Jethro Tull! January 2022 • Music News
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Open 6 Days A Week Tuesday thru Sunday
Saturday, January 1 - Pee Wee Bowen Sunday, January 2 - Katie’s Jam with guest host James Wilhite Thursday, January 6 - Josh Garret Friday, January 7 - Chris Chrocheore Saturday, January 8 - Jonn Del Toro Richardson Sunday, January 9 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Mark May Thursday, January 13 - Hugo Jamz Trio Friday, January 14 - The Mighty Orq Saturday, January 15 - Van Wilks Sunday, January 16 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Chris Castaneda Thursday January 20 - Pierce Friday, Janaury 21 - Brad Stivers Saturday, January 22 - Holland K. Smith Sunday, January 23 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Hugo Thursday, January 27 - Hugo Jamz Trio Friday, January 28 - Eric Demmer Saturday, January 29 - Mark May Sunday, January 30 - Katie’s Jam with guest host James Henry
January 2022 • Music News
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1006 McGowen
713-650-1006
Leon’s Lounge Is Now Available For Private Parties! Make Your Reservations Now!!
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This January at Leon’s Lounge Saturday, January 1 - Rhythm Dogs with BV3 Sunday, January 2 - Gammaland Monday, January 3 - Kevin Jeffries Tuesday, January 4 - Clayton Farris Duo Wednesday, January 5 - Music News Open Mic Night with Joe Cain Thursday, January, 6 - Vendetta Friday, January 7 - Red Orchid (White Stripes Tribute) with Three Hot Chili Peppers (Chili Peppers Tribute) Saturday, January 8 - Colton Purswell - Shayne Porter with The Shady Trees Sunday, January 9 - Gammaland Monday, January 10 - Kevin Jeffries Tuesday, January 11 - Clayton Farris Duo Wednesday, January 12 - Music News Open Mic Night with Joe Cain Thursday, January 13 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap with Special Guests Friday, January 14 - One Fry Short with Los Vertigos Saturday, January 15 - Kim Foushee and The Alliance Sunday, January 16 - Gammaland Monday, January 17 - Kevin Jeffries Tuesday, January 18 - Clayton Farris Duo Wednesday, January 19 - Music News Open Mic Night with Joe Cain Thursday, January 20 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap with Special Guests Friday, January 21 - Joshua Robert Trio Saturday, January 22 - TBA Sunday, January 23 - Gammaland Monday, January 24 - Kevin Jeffries Tuesday, January 25 - Clayton Farris Duo Wednesday, January 26 - Music News Open Mic Night with Joe Cain Thursday, January 27 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap with Special Guests Friday, January 28 - Astrolace and Small Talk Saturday, January 29 - Devon J Ris & The Spectrum Blues Band Sunday, January 30 - Gammaland Monday, January 31 - Kevin Jeffries Tuesday, February 1 - Clayton Farris Duo Wednesday,February 2 - Music News Open Mic Night with Joe Cain Music News • August 2021
1006 McGowen St. Houston, Texas 713-650-1006
August 2021 • Music News
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Lettuce Bring Their 2022 Tour To Houston’s House Of Blues On January 20 No matter how far we comb the outer reaches of the galaxy in search of the funk, it eventually finds us—or it does not You see, funk lives, grows, breathes, and blossoms. Like any living thing, it needs to be fed in order to flourish. LETTUCE both feed the rich history of funk and also combine it with strains of hip-hop, rock, psychedelia, jazz, soul, and go-go. The GRAMMY® Award-nominated six-piece—Adam Deitch [drums, percussion, arrangement], Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff [guitar], Erick “Jesus” Coomes [bass], Ryan Zoidis [alto, baritone, tenor sax, Korg X-911], Eric “Benny” Bloom [trumpet, horns], and Nigel Hall [vocals, Hammond B-3, Rhodes, clavinet, keyboards]—once again break rules, push boundaries, and uplift on their sixth fulllength studio offering, Resonate [Round Hill Records]. “Funk is a living and breathing thing with a ton of sub-genres,” affirms Deitch. “Our goal is to add our own stamp to that by moving things around and bringing in jazz chords, psychedelic passages, big horns, and elements from the instrumental side of hiphop. Funk is known as a very tightknit artform. We extend the template with improvisation on the spot. It forces us to react, pay attention, and listen to each other. By combining everything, we try to add something to the culture we love so much.” Reverence for this culture rings out loud and clear throughout a catalog of fan favorite releases. Their discography comprises Outta Here [2002], Rage! [2008], Fly [2012], Crush [2015], the EP Mt. Crushmore [2016], the live album Witches Stew [2017], and Elevate [2019]. The latter lifted LETTUCE to new heights. Notably, it garnered a 2020 GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album” and bowed at #1 on both the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart
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and iTunes Top R&B Albums Chart. Elevate also soared to the Top 15 on the Billboard Jazz Albums, R&B Album Sales, and Heatseekers Charts. Not to mention, it put up 3 million streams within six months, and simultaneously received acclaim from BrooklynVegan, Billboard, Rolling Stone, NPR, and more. Throughout 2019, LETTUCE siphoned all of this energy back into the studio. Written and recorded during the same Colorado Sound sessions that spawned Elevate, the band brought Resonate to life alongside iconic producer and engineer Russ Elevado [D’Angelo, The Roots, Erykah Badu]. “Russ had worked with all of our heroes,” smiles Deitch. “When we found out he was a fan, we were completely blown away and super inspired, so I ended up writing more than I’ve ever written for a record. He made us play our best. We came in extra prepared and tried to have a plethora of tempos and feels. There are rap vibes, trippy moments, and old school soul. Everything flows.” “We hadn’t been in the studio for at least four years,” adds Zoidis. “Of course, we’d played together a ton on tour. Deitch is constantly writing and thinking of our next musical move though. By the time we got in, we had so much material and were focused. It was an empowering moment for the band. We were in a place where the chemistry couldn’t have been better. We got to capture it on tape with Russ at the controls.” “It’s exploratory,” “Shmeeans” elaborates. “Some aspects represent our past, and other aspects represent our present and future. It’s the most we’ve ever recorded at once, so we really present a full picture.” LETTUCE introduces this picture with the first single “Checker Wrecker.” Drawing on a longstanding collective passion for Washington, D.C. go-go music, they welcome
scene legends Big Tony Fisher of Trouble Funk and Tyrone “Jungle Boogie” Williams of Rare Essence into their ecosystem. Funk guitars and simmering horns dip in and out of a percussive pocket before the track struts into swaggering chants, “Put some stank on it,” backed by warbling synths and spacey organ. Plus, Shmeeans drops “one of them funky solos.” “Go-go is the missing link between hip-hop and funk,” says Deitch. “Tony has played with us in D.C., so we asked him to join us in the studio. ‘Jungle Boogie’ was down, too. The song is a happy moment of connecting the dots.” Upheld by deft riffing, hummable horns, and “Tower of Power energy,” Resonate ignites with the boisterous “Blaze,” which the band kicked around live for years. “If you’re a classic LETTUCE fan, you’ll know it,” smiles “Shmeeans.” Meanwhile, “Moksha” would be born from a moment of fate. Exploring the edges of psychedelia, legendary sitarist Indrajit Banerjee blesses the tune with sitar conjurations floating in and out of ethereal guitar transmissions. “I bought a sitar at a pawn shop in Austin,” recalls “Shmeeans.” “However, I needed to learn how to tune it. I ended up finding Indrajit online. He invited me over to his house and helped me with tuning. It took a minute, but I realized he was this master player. We’ve had him jam on stage, and he’s on the record now. It’s a really cool, serendipitous story.” Nearing the nine-minute mark, the closer and title track “Resonate” sees the band once again tread new territory. “It’s definitely a mood piece,” adds Deitch. “There’s a meditational vibe. It’s where we’re at now. You can relax to it—or smoke a joint to it. The title is up for interpretation. If you let good vibes resonate with the people around you, they’ll hit hearts, minds, and souls.” “Jesus” concurs, “It’s important to us for the attendee of our concerts to experience a really great feeling and after that to Resonate it out to the rest of the world wherever they go and to whomever they meet.” In the end, LETTUCE are more alive than ever on Resonate. “I want you to know you’re listening to a bunch of best friends who have been playing together for more than 25 years,” Deitch leaves off. “We were major parts of each other’s lives before the band. It’s a true democracy. We all agree on the vision. We like to hit people in the heart and in the gut as opposed to the head. Maybe, you want to put Resonate on and dance or just grab the aux cord where you are, plug it in, and play it loud.” Jesus adds, “I hope fans take away a sensation of genuine emotion and personal transformation.” “Hopefully, Resonate stamps a moment in time for you,” concludes Zoidis. “It touches on all of the important funk subgenres that made us who we are. Funk definitely found us. No matter how hard we try to put it down, it takes over and makes sure we’re doing what we’re here to do!”
January 2022 • Music News
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The Reverend Horton Heat Performs at Main Street Crossing In Tomball On January 22nd 44
Music News • January 2022
With their hot-rodded fusion of dazzling high-speed guitar runs, thundering rhythms, high-profile swagger, and lyrical smirk, the Reverend Horton Heat are perhaps the most popular psychobilly artists of all time, their recognition rivaled only by the esteem generated by the genre’s founders, the Cramps. The Reverend (as both the band and its guitar-playing frontman are known) built a strong cult following during the ’90s through constant touring, manic showmanship, and a barbed sense of humor. The latter was nothing new in the world of psychobilly, of course, and Heat’s music certainly maintained the trashy aesthetic of his spiritual forebears. The Reverend’s true innovation was updating the psychobilly sound for the alternative rock era. In their hands, it had roaring distorted guitars, rocked as hard as any punk band, and didn’t look exclusively to the pop culture of the past for its style or subject matter. Most of the Reverend’s lyrics were gonzo celebrations of sex, drugs, booze, and cars, and true to his name, his early concerts often featured mock sermons in the style of a rural revivalist preacher. On their 1992 debut Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em, the group established the template of their nofrills, high-intensity approach to rockabilly, and though celebrity producers helped beef up the sound of their next two albums — Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers on 1993’s The Full Custom Gospel Sounds and Ministry’s Al Jourgensen on 1994’s Liquor in the Front — the Reverend’s essential style changed little with time. They would explore a more introspective side on 2004’s Revival, embrace their country influences on 2009’s Laughin’ & Cryin’ with the Reverend Horton Heat, and add a pianist to the mix on 2018’s Whole New Life, but on-stage and in the studio, Jim Heath and his bandmates could always be depended continued on next page
Reverend Horton Heat continued from previous page upon to deliver some of the twangy fire that their fans loved. Reverend Horton Heat — the man, not the band — was born James C. Heath in Corpus Christi, Texas. Growing up, he played in local rock cover bands around the area but was more influenced by Sun Records’ rockabilly, electric Chicago blues, and country mavericks like Junior Brown, Willie Nelson, and Merle Travis. According to legend, he spent several years in a juvenile correction facility, and at 17 was supporting himself as a street musician and pool shark (according to the Reverend, however, the story was fabricated by Sub Pop to add color to his greaser image). Heath eventually moved to Dallas, where he found work at a club in Deep Ellum. There, he gave his first performance in 1985 as Reverend Horton Heat, christened as such by the club’s owner. Heat played the city’s blues club circuit for a while, performing mostly for polite crowds and swing dancing enthusiasts. Craving the excitement of a rock & roll show, and seeking a more financially rewarding avenue to help with his child support payments, Heat revamped his sound and moved into rock and punk venues. In 1989, he added bassist Jimbo Wallace to his band, and drummer Patrick “Taz” Bentley soon completed the lineup. Reverend Horton Heat were a big hit around the area, and soon began touring extensively all around the country. They ultimately landed a deal with the prominent Seattlebased indie label Sub Pop, and in 1991 issued their debut album, Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em, which
featured fan favorites like “Eat Steak,” “Marijuana,” “Bad Reputation,” and “Love Whip.” The band kept building its audience through steady touring, and received considerable media attention for 1993’s sophomore effort The Full Custom Gospel Sounds of the Reverend Horton Heat. Produced by the Butthole Surfers’ Gibby Haynes, it spawned a minor MTV hit in “Wiggle Stick,” and also included Heat staples “400 Bucks” and “Bales of Cocaine.” Having amassed a significant underground following, Horton Heat signed a major-label deal with Interscope in 1994, and debuted that year with a joint release between Interscope and Sub Pop, Liquor in the Front (subtitled “Poker in the Rear” for anyone who missed the first double-entendre). This time around, Heat had an even more unlikely producer in Ministry’s Al Jourgensen; he also had major-label bucks, which contributed to a ratcheting up of the hell-raising lifestyle he often sang about, and eventually the temporary worsening of a drinking problem. In the meantime, drummer Bentley left the band later in 1994 to join Tenderloin; he was replaced by Scott “Chernobyl” Churilla. Horton Heat returned in 1996 with It’s Martini Time, which featured several nods to the swing and lounge revival scenes emerging around that time; as a result, the title track became a minor hit, and the album became their first to chart in the Top 200. That year, Heat made his small-screen acting debut thanks to his on-stage preacher shtick, which earned him a guest spot on the acclaimed drama Homicide: Life on the Street. The following year, he appeared on The Drew Carey Show. The band’s final major-label album, Space Heater, arrived in 1998; after its release, the gigantic label mergers
of that year resulted in the band being dropped from Interscope. In the wake of their exit, Sub Pop released a 24-song best-of compilation, Holy Roller, in 1999, covering their entire output up to that point. Undaunted, they continued to tour, and in 2000 recorded the more straightforward rockabilly album Spend a Night in the Box for the Time Bomb label. This time, Butthole Surfers’ Paul Leary manned the production booth. The Reverend next surfaced on Artemis Records with 2002’s Lucky 7, his hardestedged album in quite some time. Its single, “Like a Rocket,” was selected as the theme song for that year’s Daytona 500 race. Buoyed by the publicity, Heat signed a new deal with Yep Roc in 2003. His first album for the label, Revival, appeared the following year, as did a live DVD. In 2005, he gave the world its first psychobilly holiday album, We Three Kings. Three years later, the frontman unveiled his side project Reverend Organdrum, which explored a wider range of retro sounds with Hi-Fi Stereo. In 2006, Scott Churilla left the band, and Paul Simmons became the group’s drummer. Laughin’ & Cryin’ with Reverend Horton Heat, a country-leaning set, appeared from Yep Roc in 2009, followed by 2012's 25 to Life, a live documentary/greatest-hits CD/DVD box set released to coincide with the group’s 25th anniversary. After the release of 25 to Life, Scott Churilla returned to the lineup, and stayed with the band until 2017, when he was succeeded by drummer Arjuna “RJ” Contreras. In 2018, the Reverend Horton Heat became a quartet with the addition of full-time piano player Matt Jordan; Contreras and Jordan would make their recording debut with the band on their 2018 album Brand New Life.
January 2022 • Music News
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Saturday, January 1, 4:00 - 8:00 pm *Happy New Year!!! Jailhouse Saloon 310 Preston Ave - Spring, TX 77373 Friday, January 14, 9:00 pm -1:00 am Aspens Bar & Grill 817 Clear Lake Rd - Kemah, TX 77565 Saturday, January 22, 8:00 -11:00 pm 3 Doors Down Bar 102 20th St - Galveston, TX 77550 Friday, February 4, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am Capone’s Oven & Bar 2303 Richmond Ave - Houston, TX 77098 Friday, February 11, 7:00 - 10:00 pm No Label Brewing Co 5351 1st St - Katy, TX 77493 Saturday, February 12, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am Backwoods Saloon 230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385 Friday, February 25, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am The Abbey Pub 2002 Fry Rd - Houston, TX 77084 MusicNews News• •December November2021 2020 4826NMusic 46
Music News • November 2021
Friday, March 4, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am Jailhouse Saloon 310 Preston Ave - Spring, TX 77373 Saturday, March 5, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am Capone’s Oven & Bar 2303 Richmond Ave - Houston, TX
July 2021 • Music News
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Joe and Cain Leon’sLounge present OPEN MIC WEDNESDAYS 8-12:00 AM All Musicians’s and All Genre’s of Music Welcome! Bring Your Instruments and Play! Guitar Bass Drums Keyboards Harmonica Vocals If it makes music, bring it!
1006 McGowen MIDTOWN HOUSTON, TX 47 45 713-659-5366
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The Biker, The Blues And The Cool Ass International Blues Challenge In Memphis USA
Nothing, absolutely nothing, compares to the level of coolness that the annual International Blues Challenge generates in Memphis Tennessee USA. The IBC is sponsored by The Blues Foundation which is a 501c3 comprised of over one hundred “chapters” blues societies as they call them. These blues societies are located in cities all around the world and the vast majority of them fund and send their best blues bands and soloists to this event every year. Envision top rated blues bands and soloists from around the globe performing in four days of red hot get down blues on the world famous Beale Street later this month. It is almost too cool for words. Literally KPFT’s Blues Hound, Memphis Great thousands of blues lovers, fans, are Tall City Festival Talent Buyers Ron Barbara Blue, & Kpft’s Baby Girl 52
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Reeger, Tina Fields, Lisa Grissom
The Biker, The Blues And The Cool Ass International Blues Challenge In Memphis USA
on Beale Street night after night while the challenge is in full force. The city actually shuts off traffic onto the street each night, that’s how packed it is, and by the way I’ve never seen a problem at the IBCs. It’s just cool all the way around. Among those attending are world class radio show hosts, venue talent buyers, booking agencies, record labels, hundreds of blues band, and thousands of righteous blues lovers from all around the world. Blues lovers pay one fee and get a wrist band that gains entrance into any one of the many participating blues clubs on Beale Street including BB King’s, Rum Boogie, Hard Rock Café, and many more. I’ve been going to the IBCs every chance I get and only missed a few since I started going. One of my favorite memories includes meeting up with Steve “Harp Ace” Krase at a little place right next to Rum Boogies. Steve was scouting for up and coming talent. Steve, a first class blues harpist himself continually performs in both the U.S. and Europe. He knows what to look for in stage presence, originality, and that certain blues feeling that an audience can feel coming at them from the stage. We belted a shot or two, maybe three, and took in the act on stage. Just about then blues rock vocalist sensation Sari Schorr came in and stood with us by the bar. Sari and Steve knew each other but this would be my introduction to the extremely gifted blues rock artist. She told us where she had been already and Steve told her where he had been and what shows he had taken in so far. They talked about who else might be continued on next page January 2022 • Music News
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The Biker, The Blues And The Cool Ass International Blues Challenge In Memphis USA Interesting to go and see and off they went to brave the cold outside. Me, I stayed where I had a bar stool, a good view of the stage, and could see everyone coming and going out the door. Finally, I decided to cross the street and take in an act that I had read about just the month before. I went in, the place was packed, and the music was cooking big time. At the end of the four song set I opened the door and as the cold night air hit my face my eyes watered and I walked right into the great blues singer Annika Chambers. Annika was on the Montrose Record label at the time and there she was saying hello to those who passed by and would hand them a post card size announcement about her new album. It was freezing ass cold and this woman was relentless, she was going to greet as many people as she could even in freezing temperatures. I locked my arm around hers and said come on with me just for a moment and I took her inside BB King’s. As she warmed up we exchanged notes on what was going down and then she excused herself. The woman was going back out on Beale to meet people. When I look back on that night I realize it was the defining moment of a major break out blues artist. It wasn’t that many years later that Annika Chambers would win the coveted Blues Music Award in that very same city. Today she tours the world and performs to sell out crowds. All I can say is that when the passion to share your gift is inside and something pushes you along even in ice cold weather that’s a sure sign of impending stardom. My next stop was the famous Rum Boogies and as one might expect it was jammed tight. The music was cooking big time and as I finally edged my way to the bar I found a seat. I was setting right next to the waitress’s order area and another gifted blues singer came up to the bar to place an order. I would come to learn that her name was Niecie. She hailed from the Detroit market and was visiting with my good friends James and Colleen Nagel of KPFT radio fame. Soon Niecie would be visiting Houston and I would see her again at the radio station. Niecie records with Johnny Neel (Allman Brothers Band) in Nashville and she is almost always being booked in both listening rooms and music festivals. At about this time I walked, maybe stumbled is a better word, down the street to a club with a large main stage. One of the blues society members that was visiting Memphis too told me that rumor had it that Shari Schorr and Steve Krase were going to perform together after the evening’s judging was over. Too cool! I was in. So here we are zero dark thirty sometime after midnight and this place is filling up fast just from word of mouth alone. As I looked around the room I noticed a lot of band members John In Houston, Niecie, Baby Girl, James Nagel at 54
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KPFT Radio Houston
The Biker, The Blues And The Cool Ass International Blues Challenge In Memphis USA and instruments. Hmmm what was up? Well if you are a musician you just performed in the number one spot in the world for blues and sleep is not on the agenda. That’s what was up. For the next two hours this place was smoking big time. I mean to tell you that each call out for so and so who plays this instrument or that one to come to the stage was over the top fantastic. I hadn’t heard of most of these people but artists and musicians know each other around the world alike and the word was out. A hint of the sun coming up lit up the night sky as I left the building and headed for the hotel. Not a bad first night at all. One of the crowning jewels on Beale Street sits close to the famous Orpheum Theatre. It’s the Hard Rock Café (see photo at right). It’s a two level listening room slash restaurant that is completely uptown in taste and quality. In fact if you go to Memphis in May for the Blues Music Awards this is the place that the artists know to go to the day after the awards. This where they let their hair down and the shows are once again over the top. The photo on the right does not capture the bar area which is just behind the tables in the near portion of the Hard Rock Cafe Memphis Tennessee - Photo by Hinedak Group photo on the bottom floor. As each star arrives you can look out on Beale and see them exit their ride and enter the door. I’ve seen the great harp player Bob Corritore, the fantastic traditional blues singer Trudy Lynn and many more from this choice perch. In May the temperature is much warmer and the bikes are plentiful. Sometimes they are parked all along the entire street for blocks. Again, the evenings are trouble free and the vibe is centered on all forms of blues; blues rock, slow blues, traditional blues, and more. Someone once told me that if you love the blues and go to Memphis either on the week of the IBCs or BMAs you will go back. That’s true. I have been back year after year since 2014. The other interesting point is that you will tell others about it year after year too. Some people write articles about it that go around the world. Some tout it on the radio, some on television, but most of all they tell their close friends because this place is cool to the max. Where else can you see world class international blues talent all in one place? Plus the price is low, the hotels close by, and everyone knows about Memphis style ribs. The last thing to note is that for most U.S. residents you don’t have to hassle with a flight there. Memphis is almost centrally located in the middle of the country. So you can drive there and not get hassled by long lines, delays, and other such vacation ruining memories. Stay downtown and either walk or ride the trolley back and forth to the hotel. No worries regarding drinking and driving and of course you can always Uber if you want to do that too. I’m going - come on make a reservation you know you want to - I mean you know you really want to go so what the hell just do it. When is the last time you got away and really enjoyed yourself? Over at your in laws? Come on - you know you want to go….. January 2022 • Music News
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Mindcrime (Photos by Jennifer Schmitz) 62
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Randy Soffar’s Singer Songwriter Swap with special guests Melissa Sambrooks and Kris Collins (Photos By Music News) Music News • January 2022
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Mike Zito Rocks Katie’s Bar In Bacliff (Photos by Music News) January 2022 • Music News
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